The story of Alastair Inglis’ career with Piroto was almost a very short one. In 1973, having applied for a position at Automatic Business Machines (ABM), the company who subsequently formed Piroto Labelling, he found himself in front of two of the Company Directors for an interview. He immediately hit it off with one of the Directors, the other though, was not so convinced, and he was unsuccessful.
That could have been the end of the story, had Alastair not attended a family gathering that weekend. There he caught up with his uncle, who made a suggestion that would change the course of Alastair’s career.
In Alastair’s own words “I was disappointed not to be offered the job at ABM, I could really see the potential. When my uncle suggested I offer them my services on a month’s trial, I thought, what have I got to lose?”
After just three weeks in post Alastair was offered a permanent position as Administration Manager and the rest, as they say, is history.
Just two years later Alastair had really shown his worth and in 1975 was appointed Managing Director. His brief was challenging: to change the strategic direction of Piroto from a supplier of pricing guns and price stampers selling labels as an add-on, to a full blown manufacturer of adhesive labels.
Never shy of a challenge, Alastair took Piroto from strength to strength. During the late 70s and early 80s he guided Piroto into new markets and began building a reputation for quality and innovation, backed by great personal service.
In 1986, major labelling player Avery International bought Piroto’s parent company and the future seemed unclear. Undeterred by the uncertainty, Alastair was again offered a piece of advice that would cement, not only his future, but that of the whole workforce. The Inglis family bought Piroto.
The next 17 years saw team Piroto united around Alastair with a clear strategy to enter new markets, invest in the best presses, and work with customers to produce the perfect labels for their needs.
So, 50 years on, the Piroto we know today owes many of its core values including quality, customer service, integrity and community, to the legacy of Alastair Inglis and the early Piroto team. Alastair said “I have always believed that the success of any company is dependent on its people. We always had a good team without whom Piroto could not have achieved what we did together.”
You can read Piroto’s full 50 year story here.